Rodeo

western sports · horses · livestock · skill competition

From cattle work. Rodeo started as real jobs that cowboys and vaqueros did every day, like herding cattle and roping animals. People thought these skills were so cool that they turned them into a sport.

Two main types. Rodeo events split into timed events (like races against the clock) and rough stock events (like bucking bronc riding where you hang on for the ride). Each type tests different cowboy abilities.

Wild variety. Rodeos include barrel racing (speeding around barrels on horseback), bull riding (staying on a bucking bull), steer wrestling (jumping off a horse to tackle a steer), and roping contests where you lasso cattle as fast as you can.

Very first rodeo. On July 4, 1883, in Pecos, Texas, the first public cowboy contest happened between cattle driver Trav Windham and roper Morg Livingston. That's when rodeo became an official sport instead of just ranch work.

Spread worldwide. Rodeo started in Spain and Mexico, then spread through the United States and Canada, and today people compete in rodeos all around the world.